When Today Affects Tomorrow
by TigressJade
Summary: AU. Suzuka decides to confess to Tsuda Kazuki the morning before he goes to compete in the National Tournament. Her actions wind up saving his life on that fateful day. Suzuka/Tsuda SuzukaxTsuda


_Author's Note:_ Hi. *waves* I've actually been planning this fic for a while. I like the Suzuka anime, despite my love for the Yamato/Miki pairing, hence the existence of my other fanfic _Throwing the Baton_. I really do like Suzuka/Tsuda. The two of them mesh so well together. They have arguments, but they like each other. The dynamic is different and not as...well done with Yamato and Suzuka. Just my thoughts. I think I would have enjoyed the overall story more if the anime/manga had been about Suzuka and Tsuda rather than Yamato and Suzuka. Yes, I know Yamato and Tsuda are similar, however they are still two different people and Tsuda had way more dedication to track and much more in common with Suzuka.

Anyway, this is a fanfic where the unexpected happens and things turn out very different for Suzuka. Tsuda as well. Again, I don't hate Suzuka as a character. While her flip-flopping emotions did get on my nerves, I realize that she did truly care about Yamato. I just like her better with Tsuda and if I were the mangaka, he'd be alive in cannon right now and paired with her. Just saying.

So, without further ado. Enjoy the fic. ;)

* * *

**When Today Affects Tomorrow**

Suzuka shivered slightly. She was always so cautious about these things. Her feelings. Her misguided adolescent emotions. The young track enthusiast was very goal oriented and very guarded about her personal feelings. She knew she came off as cold and uncaring, but she had her goals and nothing was going to stand in her way of achieving the highest record for the high jump in all of Japan. It was her gift, the one thing that held her steady in the midst of her teaming emotions and confusing social interactions was her ability to physically attain her objectives through sports. It had been her dream to compete at a high school level for the high jump and she was almost there.

Then Tsuda Kazuki happened and she was forced to adjust her perspective on athletic competition. He was the middle school track captain and an older student who, despite his knowledge and considerable skill, wanted to make track practice a more amiable experience. He wanted it to be fun, rather than competitive and Suzuka had firmly disagreed. Track practice was supposed to be a time when she and her teammates concentrated on their singular objective: winning any and all track meets that year. She wanted to be the best after all. She wanted...she wanted...she _didn't know_ what she wanted anymore!

Suzuka had stayed up pacing in her room until late that night. At midnight she'd been forced to turn off her desk light when she heard footsteps down the hall. Probably her sister Suzune getting up to use the bathroom. Still, she didn't want anyone to know she was still awake. Even if it was a weekend.

Tomorrow was Saturday and that annoying jerk Kazuki...Tsuda-sempai was competing in Nationals once again. The day before he had confessed romantic feelings for her, something that had sent her world spinning. All that bickering between them for the past couple of years had really been a front to hide how he felt. After hours upon hours of thought, Suzuka was forced to admit that the feelings were mutual. She wanted to tell him how she felt straight away the very next morning. Only she had agree to wait and give him an answer after he competed in the tournament. Tsuda-sempai swore that he would bring back a gold medal for their school and that he'd prove to Suzuka that he could do it.

Suzuka chuckled to herself. That was Tsuda-sempai in a nutshell. Energetic and fiercely competitive, despite his easy going nature. This year Shohiro-sempai was unable to attend any of the middle school meets with them as he had already graduated. She would miss him greatly, as he'd played the role of her mentor since her first year on the track team. However, he seemed content to leave the team in his compatriots capable hands. She mentally swore to do him proud in future competitions.

This would be Tsuda-sempai's last year as a middle school student...

Tsuda-sempai was a sprinter as opposed to Suzuka's skills as a high jumper. His athletic ability was second nature and despite his slight arrogance and overt congeniality, Tsuda-sempai was a good teammate. He was the new captain after all and it was only natural that he'd look out for teammates.

Even if he did insist on calling her _Suzi_.

The annoyance that nickname brought Suzuka was indescribable. There was no getting past it. When Tsuda-sempai came back she was calling him Kazuki to his face or maybe Kazu-chan. The look on his face would be priceless and well worth disrespecting the age seniority he had on their team.

That was it!

Tsuda-sempai always seemed to know what was going on and how to read people, despite his _different_ approach to captaining the team. The best thing she could do to prove to him once and for all that she was serious was to catch him off guard.

They were a team after all, since both of them had been named captains. That meant Suzuka had some authority on this team as well and...she was going to teach her sempai a lesson about propriety. For the first time since she was ten, Suzuka felt mischievous smile form on her face.

He wouldn't even see it coming.

The next morning Suzuka awoke at 4am to the sound of her alarm clock ringing. She was careful to muffle the sound with her pillow and quickly turned it off. Her parents and Suzune wouldn't be up for hours yet and she had no desire to wake them prematurely. She dressed quickly and put her good sneakers and a light jacket, before shuffling out the door toward the school. It was a few blocks over, so she'd have to run in order to make in time to see the team off.

Suzuka sighed in relief when she noticed the bus was still parked outside of the school gates. She got to the sidewalk and glanced quickly either way before dashing across the street. It took her a minute to catch her breath in the cold air. Then she noticed someone was standing in front of her. It was Tsuda-sempai!

"Suzi! What're you doing here? It's almost five o'clock in the morning." Tsuda-sempai said groggily "Don't tell me you missed me that much."

Suzuka flushed slightly. Then she got a better look at him and noticed that Tsuda-sempai was empty handed.

"Where's your gear?" she said, changing the subject. "Don't tell me you forgot it again."

Tsuda-sempai grinned sheepishly. A hand moving up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Just my spikes" he answered. "I was about to run back and get em when you showed up. Now would you mind telling me what you're doing here-"

Just then a car sped by them barely missing the curb they were standing on and crashed into a nearby telephone pole.

* * *

The entire team heard the crash and the bus emptied out quickly as Miyamoto and Subaru both went to assist the driver, followed by Suzuka and Tsuda-sempai who were still in shock. Tsuda with his arm around Suzuka's shoulders. He didn't even realize he'd done it. It was just an instinctive reaction to pull Suzuka close when he saw the car enter into his line of vision.

Suzuka herself hadn't even realized Tsuda had put his arm around her until after the ambulance had been called. Then she found Tsuda staring down at her with inquisitive eyes.

"You-you just saved my life" he uttered in disbelief "If you hadn't been there I would have walked across that street, because it's always clear so early in the morning. Suzi I..."

Tsuda found himself cut off when Suzuka kissed him abruptly on the mouth, forestalling any further reply. He had to admit, her lips were warm and the kiss tasted an awful lot like peppermint. He liked peppermint. And he liked Suzuka very much despite her sometimes prickly nature.

"I like you too, idiot sprinter" Suzuka said after breaking the kiss "I couldn't wait to tell you. I...I'm glad you're alright. Be careful next time, will you!"

"I guess, we all have our off days" Tsuda said with a light smile. "I'm glad you came Suzuka."

"So am I." she said quietly. "Kazuki."

Tsuda's nose and cheeks took on a reddish tint as he stared at her in shock.

"I was hoping to surprise you and seeing that look on your face is completely worth it" Suzuka said with an ironic smile.

"You can call me Kazuki...Suzi" Tsuda answered back, giving her a wink.

She hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

"Not when you have such a cute reaction to it."

All around them the team was talking and the bus driver was tending to the driver of the car, Miyamoto and several others had managed to drag him out onto the sidewalk. His head was currently pillowed on Sendou's track bag.

Tsuda and the others going to compete for their different teams at Nationals, since their's was the only bus taking several students from the region to compete, were incredibly late for the competition itself. Suzuka went back with Tsuda to retrieve his track spikes, before seeing him off and wishing him well. The two of them had talked on the way to his house and decided that they would try to attend the same high school in Tokyo. Tsuda had already been accepted to Meio High, so Suzuka was determined to do well in Regional's the very next year. She have to impress the scouts from various high schools in hopes that several from Meio would be in attendance.

Suzuka did eventually get into Meio and she was able to attend school with Tsuda. They continued to date throughout high school and they both ended up going to Seiji University together, though one year apart. Much to her amusement, Tsuda became fast friends with Yamato Akitsuki. Suzuka herself formed a friendship with former competitor Miki Hashiba. During their sophomore year Miki and Yamato also began to date and wound up attending Tokyo University together.

Years later while scrolling through her and Tsuda's school album she would come across a newspaper clipping she'd saved from second year of middle school "Yokohama Students Rescue Injured Driver" and smile wistfully. She and Kazuki had become two of Japan's top athlete's in college and went on to compete at a level just shy of the Olympic level. They had eventually gotten married and settled down near Yokohama to be closer to their families.

Suzuka never forgot how close she came to losing the person she cared about the most and as a result she never again took those around her for granted. Because today's decisions can often effect what tomorrow brings.


End file.
